Ambiguity in 'Chronicle of a Death Foretold' Essay

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Through his novel ‘Chronicle of a Death Foretold’, the author, Gabriel García Márquez, traced along the mysteries behind the brutal murder of Santiago Nasar and by incorporating a great portion of ambiguity, built up his emphasis of the complexity of humanity. Márquez had created numerous moments in the novel for which there was more than one possible interpretation, ranging from why the mayor had such a casual attitude toward the brothers’ plan to why the Vicario brothers kept on revealing their intentions to everyone. Having two probable interpretations indicates the existence of subtle motives behind the characters’ behaviors and thoughts. Among these ambiguous moments, the one in which the mayor simply took the knives away from the brothers without arresting them and the scene of Santiago exclaiming at the very end did an especially significant job on highlighting the theme of the entire murder mystery. The depiction of the characters of the mayor and townspeople exhibits a most chaotic town full of disorder and its main cause - the residents’ selfishness and indifference for each other.
When the mayor heard about the intentions of the brothers and found them at a meat store, all he did was stopping them from killing Santiago. He did not interrogate them on their intention and by stating to Clotilde Armenta ‘No one is arrested just on suspicion. Now it’s a matter of warning Santiago Nasar, and happy new year.’(p 57), he revealed his lack of concern for the man in jeopardy and the laws of the town. The reason behind his nonchalant reaction to something so serious was fairly unclear. Either he thought that the brothers were only drunk or he really had no concern for the citizens of his own town. However, either of the possible explanations would suggest the bad quality of the mayor which would further imply the decadence of the town. Being ruled by such an irresponsible and inconsiderate mayor, the town citizens’ behaviors could be influenced and become the same...